Jack Butland is thriving on the "intense" competition between England's goalkeepers and insists there will be no bad blood when Gareth Southgate finally names his World Cup number one.

The Stoke City player will start against Italy at Wembley tonight (8pm) when he needs to keep pace with Everton's rising star Jordan Pickford, who made it two clean sheets from two appearances during Friday's 1-0 win in Holland.

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Lingering in the background is long-serving first-choice Joe Hart, while uncapped Burnley man Nick Pope has also been training with the squad for the first time.

Southgate's reluctance to nominate his preferred candidate with just three more friendlies before heading to Russia has invited much debate, particularly among those who remember the less-than-stellar results of uncertainty between Rob Green and David James in build-up to the 2010 tournament.

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But Butland claims the internal battle only serves to drive up standards across the board. He explained: "It's a good thing isn't it, having competition? I enjoy it.

"Training between all of us is extremely intense. Obviously it's a place we're all trying to take for ourselves but ultimately whoever deserves it, whoever the manager feels warrants it, will get it. We're all trying to do our bit to make sure it's us.

"The manager will make his decision when he's ready, until that time and even beyond that time we'll all be battling to show who is best.

"I think that's a great way to go into a World Cup, the fact not knowing who it is just yet shows the competition is great and whoever it will be is going to be coming off a battle, which is what we want."

Just a few months ago, Butland had looked the heir-apparent to the struggling Hart, but his form has suffered as the Potters have slipped into the Premier League relegation zone, culminating in his error that potentially robbed Stoke of a crucial win at Leicester last month.

"Ultimately that's how you become a winning team and become successful. It's not by turning your head at people or being a bad egg, that doesn't work for anyone."

Italy were also the opponents when Butland made his England debut back in 2012, a 2-1 win in Berne.

At just 19 he became the most youthful player to ever wear the gloves for the Three Lions, but a series of injuries - notably a year-long ankle problem and a broken finger, both sustained of international duty - have seen him win just five more caps.